1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to firearms. In particular, some implementations of the present invention relate to systems and methods for making and using a firearm that can be customized to perform one or more functions, such as firing a bullet, firing a less-than-lethal projectile, and/or providing light. In some implementations, the firearm is configured to carry and fire multiple bullets, cartridges, rounds, and/or other projectiles before the firearm needs to be reloaded.
2. Background and Related Art
Guns currently exist that have characteristics to make them more practical or better suited for certain uses. For example, while some guns are specially configured for use in hunting, other guns are designed to be used in combat and tactical situations. Similarly, while some guns have longer barrels to increase their accuracy and bullet velocity, other guns have shorter barrels to make them easier to conceal. As a general rule, guns that are mounted against a user's shoulder, such as rifles and shotguns, are called long guns, while guns that can be held and operated with a single hand, such as pistols and revolvers, are called handguns.
Handguns can be useful for a variety of purposes. For instance, because some handguns are relatively small, they may be more practical than some long guns for use indoors and in situations where the object being shot at is relatively close to the shooter. Additionally, because some handguns can easily be hidden on a user's person, under a user's clothing, or in a user's bag, the user can carry such a gun without calling attention to that fact. As a result, the user can carry the handgun without causing unnecessary fear or anxiety to bystanders.
Despite their utility, handguns are not necessarily without their shortcomings. Indeed, as some handguns are intended to be readily fired, the safety mechanisms on such guns can be relatively easily to disengage or may even be non-existent. Accordingly, some such handguns may discharge unintentionally—potentially causing damage to property and even injury or death to the guns' users or to others. Additionally, some conventional guns are configured for a single use (e.g., firing a single type of bullet), and are not readily reconfigurable for multiple different uses (e.g., firing a bullet, firing a non-lethal projectile, firing a single shot, firing multiple shots before reloading, etc.).
Thus, while techniques currently exist that are used to provide handguns for a variety of purposes, challenges still exist. Accordingly, it would be an improvement in the art to augment or even replace current techniques with other techniques.